Material disintegrating and conveying mechanism



G. DEGAND 1,812,324

METERIAL DISINTEGRATING AND CONVEYING MECHANISM June 30, 1931.

Filed Sept. 24, 1927 5 Sheets-sheaf. 1

Win (5' June 30, 1931. DEGAND 1,812,324

METERIAL DISINTEGRATING AND CONVEYING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24, 1927 5 Sheeis-$heet 2 Jams 30, 193-1.

G. DEGAND METERIAL DISINTEGBATING AND CONVEYING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTO EV.

Jam 3@, 19:51. @EGAND 1,812,324

HE'ZERIM: DIS/INTEGRATING AND CONVEYING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 24:, 1.927 5 Sheets -Sheet 4 Lsz Jame 3Q, 1931. G. DEGAND METER-1A1: DISINTEGRATING' AND CONVEYING MECHANISM a Filed Sept. 24, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED [STATES PATENT OFFICE GUST DEGAND, OF'ST. BENEDICT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO REMBRANDT PEALE, OF ST. BENEDICT, PENNSYLVANIA, W. SANDERS DAVIES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND WILLIAM S. WALLACE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

I TRUSTEES MATERIAL DISINTEGRATING AND CONVEYING MECHANISM Application filed September 24, 1927. Serial No. 221,725.

The invention relates to novel and useful means for conveying Wholly or partly dis integrated materials, and more especially to a novel and useful conveyor for shot-down coal, which is operated as an adjunct or attachment to any standard kerf-cutting mining machine. V

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalit-ies and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts,

constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. Of the drawings Fig. 1 is a top plan of a conveyor attached to a minlng machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation corresponding to Fig. 1;

F1g. 3 1s a central, transverse vertical section through the conveyor apparatus and the driving connection with the kerf-cutting machine, taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse, vertical section of the combined machine, taken substantially along the line 4-4: of Fig. 1, with intermediate connecting parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is a transverse, vertical section through the conveyor apparatus taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a longitudinalplan of the conveyor apparatus, with. the top casing in section, taken substantially along the line 66 of Fig. 2, and having the central portion thereof broken away.

The invention is directed to providing a disintegrating and conveying mechanism for shot-down coal, to be connected to, driven by, and traveled forwardly to its work, by

a mining or kerf-cutting machine, and it is adapted for work in even very thin seams. The actuating and driving mechanism of the mining machine is utilized, through proper connections to sump the conveyor into the shot-down material, to further disintegrate it as may be necessary, to convey the so prepared material away from the face, and to progress the working conveyor for- Wardly progressively into the material operated upon.

The invention is further directed to providing conveying apparatus which can be quickly, easily, and firmly attached to the kerf-cutting machine for said purpose of further breaking up and carrying away the material which has been shot down from the room face after being undercut by the kerfcutter.

The invention not only provides for a combination of mining machine and conveyor, but by such provision eliminates the necessity for a separate disintegrating and conveying machine, and prevents enforced idleness of the mining machine during the time that the shot-down coal is being carried away from the room face. I

The invention provides a conveyor attachable to and detachable from a kerf-cutting machine, and which is carried on the work side of the mining machine, the conveyor thereby engaging directly with the shot down material which is to be further disintegrated and conveyed away. For this purpose, the conveyor is provided with devices which further disintegrate the material and impel it into the conveyor as the latter progresses or is sumped into the pile of shOtdown material.

The usual practice in mining coal is to under-cut the room face with a kerf-cutting machine and then shoot down the coal so that it may be carried away, usually by disintegrating and conveying machines. During the shooting and carrying away of the shot-down coal, the mining machine is idle and is ordinarily taken out of the way, especially in low seam mines where space is essential. The separate disintegrating and conveying machines used for removing the shot-down coal are very expensive and are themselves periodically idle during the under-cutting of the coal by the kerf-cuttlng machines, 7 I V The, invention provides a traveling conveyor of very simple and comparatively inexpensive construction, adapted to be sumped into a pile of shot-downcoal and provided with.v devices for. disintegrating the shotedown coal and impelling it intojth I The conveyor is constructed so conveyor. 4 that it can be readily and firmly attached to a standard kerf-cutting mining machine,

the kerf-cutting machine acting to progress the conveyor to its Work and to drive the moving parts. of the conveyor. qThekerfcutting machine can thus be kept in. continuous operation, hile the ex sense and main-- tenance of a separate disintegrating and conveying machine are eliminated.

In the present preferred embodimentof the invention a kerf-cutting machine of standard type is provided, having suitable driving mechanism and being equipped with the usual drums and cables for progressing and steering the machine. A traveling con,- veyor of the endless. chain type, provided With flights for propelling the materiaLi-s adapted tobe detachably. securedfto and ex-: tend along the advancing or Working I the kerf-cutting machine, whereby the: ads; vancingmoveinent of the lrerf-cutting inachine,sumps the receiving'side of the conveyor into the pile of shot-down coal.

shaft on the kerf-cutting machine. The ad- Vance conveyor (311311113.prOVldeClWlilll disintegrating teeth or b1ts for further, loosening the coal and inip-elling it i'nto'fthe 'c on-- veyor.

' Briefly stated, the operation of the abovedescribed mechanism is as follows :The independent mining'machine or kerf cutter s first operated in the usual Well-known inanner to undercut the room face. .cut coalis shot-down, and the conveyor mechanism is, then quickly and securely tached to theimining machine and 'the open- The un derside of the conveyor is sumped into the pile of shot down coal by the'lateral advancement ofthe kerf-cutting machine. Accord-g ingly the coal loosened and disintegrated by the teeth, pours 1nto the'conveyor and is car .;ried thereby to any suitable receivingand transporting means at the rear of the combined apparatus.

Other 1 features of the invention will be first set forth inconnection with the follow lng detailed descr ption, but it will be understood that the foregoing general descript1on and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory but are not restrictive of the invention.

Referringnow 1n detail to the'embodiment the kerf-cutting machine. cable winding drum 6 1S mounted oncthe Dri lng sprockets for the conveyor chains are" suitably connected to be driven by a driving of the invention illustrated by Way Of example in the accompanying drawings, and referring primarily tothe mining or'kerfcutting, machine proper, a cutter. 7 arm -1 adapted to extend horizontally along the room floor is provided with an endless cutter chain 2 adapted to travel around the periphery of the cutter arm in a suitable channel 4- and having cutting bits. orteeth A generalbox-like casing 5,.from.whic h the cutter arm and mechanismextendihorizontally, is provided for containing and supporting the actuating andadvancing mechanism of the kerf-cutting machine Suitable motorand'driving connections for actuating the cutter chain are located within the. casing 5, it being understood that the machine.

is equipped .with any'suitahle means, for

disconnecting the cutter chain drive from the motor While permitting the motor: to continue in, operation, all. asjin, the usual practice. Y 1 Y Means are provided for progressing and controllingthe. direction of. movement of.

As embodied a casing 5 and is driven bythe motorthrough any suitable connections. A cable, 7 wound. on the drum b passes. through arpu'lleyor sheave 8 fastenedneair the forwardedge' of the casing,5,the sheave 8v serving to change the direction of the cable whose extending end may be fastened to suitablefixedmeans 2111501116 point in the room'removed from't-he miningmachine. As is well known in the art, .thewinding of the cable 7 on thedrunl.

6 creates a tension along the extending cable I of the invention, comprising the kerf-cutting machine and a conveyor attached thereto, andmore particularly to the means for'attaching the conveyor to the kerf-cutting machine, as embodied the cutter arm lis provided witha centrally disposedand'longitudinally extending slotor opening 12 which extends from a point.;witl1i'n the casing 5 along the center of the cutter armto a'pointasuitable distance from the forward endof said arm. A supporting and connecting bed plate 13 adapted to underly substantiallyv the entire combined structure lies beneaththe cutter arm throughout its entire. lengthand extends laterally therefrom. a An upwardly projecting strip or flange 14 fast to the plate 13 is adapted to fitinto a corresponding widened bottom portion of the slot 12 throughout the entire length of said slot and has a narrower superimposed strip 15 Welded to it to fit in the narrower portion of slot 12. cutter arm 1 to the bed plate 13 at a plurality of points along the slot 12 by means of straps 17 which bridge the slot 12 and are suitably apertured to receive bolts 16, strip 15 being provided with threaded apertures to receive the threaded portions of bolts 16, and correspondingly suitably threaded openings in the strip 14 and the bed plate 13.

Spaced apart from the cutter arm 1 and extending parallel thereto a long box-like rectangular casing 17 for containing and sup porting the conveyor mechanism is seated on the bottom plate 13 and is secured thereto along its inner bottom edge by bolts 18 which pass through a flange lip on the casing 17 Inclined braces 19 attached to the bottom plate at 20 and to the rectangular casing 17 at 21 serve to support and further secure the casing 17 to the bottom plate 13. As embodied the casing 17 extends along the bottom plate 13 from the forward edge thereof, which is on a line parallel to the forward end of the cutter arm 1, to a line near the front wall of the casing 5 of the kerf-cutting machine, and thence inclines upwardly and rearwardly to a point above and behind the casing 5, as shown in Fig. 2. The upwardly and rearwardly inclined portion of the casing 17 is provided with a bottom plate 54. The casing 17 is supported and detachably fastened to the casing 5 by plates 22 and 23 suitably attached to said casing by tap bolts.

In carrying out the invention, suitable conveying means arranged along the exposed or advancing side of the combined apparatus are provided, which as embodied comprise spaced apart endless chains 24 and 25 arranged within the casing 17 to form upper and lower runs following the top and bottom outlines of the casing and connected by a plurality of flat bars or flights 26 suitably fastened to each chain and arranged along the chains in spaced apart parallel relation. At the forwrd end of the rectangular casing 17, the upper run of the conveyor is supported and directed by sprocket wheels 27 and 28 adapted to respectively engage chains 24 and 25 and suitably sleeved to rotate on a fixed shaft 29 which passes through both side walls of the casing 17 near the top thereof and is suitably supported by a supporting bracket 30 fixed to the bottom plate 13at 31 and extending upwardly therefrom. A stub shaft 32, fixedly mounted in the member 30 near the bottom of the casing 17and in the same vertical plane as shaft 29, serves to support a sprocket wnecl Bolts 16 serve to secure the 33 mounted to rotate thereon, the sprocket wheel 33 being adapted to engage the chain 24 at the commencement of its lower flight. The conveyor chains in their upper run are also supported at an intermediate point, preferably along a line near the forward face of the casing 5 of the kerf-cutting machine, that is, where the casing 17 begins its upward inclination. As embodied, sprocket wheels 34 and 35 adaptel to support and engage the chains 24 and 25 are fixed to a shaft 36 extending through the casing 17 below the upper run of the chains 24 and 25, said shaft being adapted to rotat-e in suitable bearings 37 and 38 attached to the outer sides of the casings.

Supporting and guiding sprockets are arranged at the rear end of the casing 17 for engaging and controlling the movement of the chains as they pass the corners formed by the junction of the end wall 60 of the easing 17 with the top and bottom walls thereof. As embodied the sprocket wheels 39 and 40 engage with an support the upper runs of the chains 24 and 25, said sprocket wheels being mounted to rotate loosely on shaft 41, which passes through the side walls of the casing 17 and is held and supported by adjusting bolts 42 fixed in eacn end of the shaft and threaded in suitable supporting members 43 projecting from each side of the casing 17. A similar set of rotatably mounted sprocket wheels may be similarly mounted at the lower rear corner of the casing for engaging the lower run of the conveyor chains. The lower run of the conveyor is supported by the bed plate 13 along the horizontal section of its course and by the bottom plate 54 of casing 17 for the inclined section of the conveyor path,

In carrying out one feature of the invention driving means are provided for causing the conveyor chains and flights to travel around the casing in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, said driving means preferably being connected with and actuaed by the driving mechanism of the kerfcutting machine. As embodied, a shaft 44 is mounted on the kerf-cutting machine by brackets 45 attached to the front wall of the casing 5, said shaft being rotated by suitable connections with the driving motor of the kerfcutting machine. Shaft 44 is adapted to be detachably connected with the driving means of the conveyor. As embodied, shaft 44 is supported at the proper height and position to extend in prolongation of the center line of shaft 36 of the cbnveyor when the conveyor mechanism is attached to the kerf-cutting machine. A siiitable coupling for joining the ends of th shafts 36 and 44 is provided, which as enibodied comprises flanged collars 46 and 46" pinned respectively to the shafts 36 and 44-. A plurality of pins 47 arranged in two concentric-rows, extend from'the collar. a6 and are, adaptedto'fitinto corresponding holes in the collar" 16 thereby providing. means which can be readily. connected and disconnected for rotatively locking the two collars.

In, accordance with one feature of the. in-

. volition, the, advancing side of theiconveyora of: coal;

isopen to receive coal which slides into the..-

conveyor due to the progressive broadside.

sumplng movement given to the whole combined apparatuses itadvances into the pile As embodied the/sidev wall of the casing 17 is cut away from the front end 48 thereofito' a line 49,;aslight distance forward from thepoint where the conveyor casing begins its. upward inclination, thereby exposing substantially the entire advancing side of the conveyor and permitting coal to easily enter the body of the casing and be engaged by theconveyor flights. As shown in Fig. 4 the top wall of the casing 17' ex tends downwardlyand inwardly for. a slight distance to form a protecting channel tor the upper run-of the conveyor chain 25. A

4 further extension of the casing 17 is made at. the forward upper corner 50,to provide protection for the sprocket wheel'- 28.

Referring now to that portion of the apparatus which: serves to disintegrate or loosen the pile of shot-down coal which lies in. the path of the. advancing conveyor, asem bodied each link ofthe conveyor. chain 25 is provided with a disintegrating tooth or bit 51 which projects. beyond the lower entering edge of the bed plate 13 as, the chain moves along the entire exposed portion of the conveyor from the end 48 to theedge. 49 of the casing 17. The bottom plate 13 is partly cut away at 52 to provide a path for the traveling disintegrating teeth. As the advancing side of the conveyor is sumped 'into the pile of shot-down coal, the teeth 51 loosen the coal ahead of the conveyor,

breaking apart the larger lumps and inpel-- ling and increasing the flow of coal; onto the conveyor. h

It will be seen that no supporting shaft is provided for the chain 25 at the lower 2 along by the conveyor fiights- As shown in Fig. 2' the upwardly inclined conveyor and casing 17 inclineagain towards the horizontal at a point beyondthe rear of the lrert-cutting machine. An opening 55 is provided in the bottom 54 of the casing for the dumping of the coal carried to this point by the conveyor. A downwardly projecting lip 56 servesto guide coal falling from the opening away from the body of the machine. It'will readily be seen that coal carried by the flights 26 'ofthe conveyor to .the opening 55' will be there dumped or principles of the. invention and withoutsacrificing its chiefadvantages.

W'hatl claimisz- 1. In a. material disintegrating and conveying; apparatus. the combination of a flight conveyor having endlesschains and flights connecting the chains and material disintegrating devices imounted on one of the conveyor'chains adapted to. project into a pile of material to disintegrate the material and impel it onto the conveyor when theconveyor is sumped into the material.

2. A conveyorv for disintegrating and carrying. away materials comprising endless chains, a plurality of flights connecting. the chains, and material disintegrating devices mounted on the links of one of the chains todisintegrate material when the conveyor is sumped into a pile thereof. 2

3. An apparatus for disintegrating and conveying material including in combination a traveling flight conveyorcomprising two endless chains and a plurality of material conveying flights connecting the chains and being exposed along one side to permit material to move onto the conveyor, means for progressing the conveyor laterally to sump the exposed side thereof into a pile of material and disintegrating devices mounted on the chain on the exposedside of the conveyor for disintegrating material and im- 'pelling itonto the conveyor.

4. A disintegrating and conveyingapparatus adapted for use with a mining machine including in combination a' travelling conveyor adapted to be sumped into a pile of shot-down'material to gather and carry away said material, a, bed plate on which the conveyor is supported and means for attachingthe bed plate to the cutter arm of the mining machine for detachably connecting the conveyor to the mining machine.

5. A material disintegrating and conveying apparatus including in combination a travelling flight conveyor adapted to. be sumped broadside into a pile of material, an open side on the conveyor for permitting the entry of material onto the conveyor, and means for closing the other side of the con veyor for preventing the. material from be ing pushed off the conveyor without being carried-away by the. conveyor. V

6. A material disintegrating and conveying apparatus including in combination a conveyor adapted to be sumped broadside into a pile of material, an open side on the conveyor for permitting entry of material onto the conveyor, and a wall closing the other side of the conveyor for retaining the material on the conveyor until the conveyor moves it away.

7. A material disintegrating and conveying apparatus including in combination an endless conveyor adapted to be sumped into a pile of lose material and a frame for supporting and spacing the upper and lower reaches of the endless conveyor a relatively great distance from each other, said frame having an open side permitting the entry of materials onto the lower reach of the conveyor.

GUST DEGAND. 

